Published by the Forest History Association of British Columbia
No. 81 Victoria, British Columbia December 2006
FHABC 2006 AGM REPORT
The FHABC’s 2006 AGM was held on Saturday, September 16th at the Burnaby Village Museum, in Deer Lake Park, Burnaby. The main items of business concerned the oral history project; the newsletter; publications under preparation; our display and book prizes at the ABCFP AGM; the incorporation of the Forest History Society – Canada; the formation of the Forest History Association of Alberta; and the centennials of the Canadian Institute of Forestry in 2009 and of the B.C. Forest Service in 2012. A small committee will be formed to examine the FHABC’s governance structure.
Edo Nyland resigned from the position of Treasurer, a position he has held since the FHABC’s inception in 1982, and Art Walker agreed to take on these duties after a transition period. Allan Klenman resigned from the Executive, after 11 years of service. Mike Apsey and Hubert Bunce joined the Executive.
Author Jay Sherwood gave a very interesting presentation on Frank Swannell’s surveys in northern B.C. and pointed out that the mountain pine beetle epidemic is killing many old lodgepole pine which are Culturally Modified Trees or surveyor’s bearing trees. So part of our history is being inexorably lost.
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OBITUARIES
G.J. “BUS” GRIFFITHS, 1913 - 2006
Gilbert Joseph (“Bus”) Griffiths, author of the classic “Now You’re Logging” (Harbour Publishing, 1978), passed away in Courtenay on September 25th. Born in Moose Jaw, Bus was raised in Vancouver and moved to Fanny Bay in 1944. He worked for decades in the logging industry, primarily as a faller, up until the age of 64. After Griffiths made a comic pamphlet for children during World War II, an editor at BC Lumberman encouraged him to submit comic strips about logging. Griffiths drew his pieces first with pencil, then with India ink. “Now You’re Logging” is an illustrated novel about two young men learning truck logging during the 1930s and went through three printings. Some of his logging scenes are on permanent display in the Courtenay Museum and Fanny Bay Community Hall.
DR. TERRY HONER
A long-time FHABC member and former FHABC Executive member (1994 - 1999), Terry Honer passed away on November 18th. In his working life he was a Canadian Forest Service scientist, Program Director, and Director-General of the Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria.
He authored many publications and documented the CFS history and that of forestry in Canada. An accomplished artist, he illustrated one of his books – “Without fear or favour: culling & scaling timber in Canada, 1762-1992.” His most recent book “Iron Tools and Logging Practices of the Ottawa River Shantyman” will be available soon at the online bookstore “Blurb” - http://www.blurb.com/
Terry was also a member of The Tool Group of Canada, comprised of people interested in collecting and studying antique tools. He contributed a number of articles to their newsletter, “Yesterday’s Tools,” over the years.
RAY GILLIS WILLISTON, 1914 – 2006
Ray Williston, a cabinet minister under W.A.C. Bennett, died on December 7th. Born in Victoria and educated in Salmon Arm, he was a teacher, school principal, and school superintendent for 16 years before entering politics in 1953 as the Socred MLA for Fort George. Ray was the Minister of Education from 1954 to 1956 and made possible the creation of the University of Victoria with the Victoria College Act in 1955 and the University of Northern B.C., having set aside land during the 1960s that would eventually become the UNBC Prince George campus.
He held the Lands and Forests portfolio from 1956 to 1972 and, due to the addition of Water Resources in 1962, he also oversaw the building of the W.A.C. Bennett dam on the Peace River as well as negotiated the Columbia River Treaty. 3
Williston encouraged the development of a pulp industry utilizing waste wood in the northern interior after Tom Wright and Larry deGrace studied the matter from 1956 to 1960. He also established eight of the earliest Ecological Reserves in the province.
Ray Williston lost his seat during the election of 1972 and then moved to New Brunswick to assist with a forest study and management program for the provincial government there. He was General Manager of the New Brunswick Forest Authority, and held that position until returning to B.C. as President of B.C. Cellulose Company in 1976. He headed other Crown corporations and advised on policy during the Bill Bennett regime.
Ray received an honorary degree from UNBC in 1997 and donors who annually contribute more than $1,000 to that university are named members of the “Williston Circle.” He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria in 2005, to add to honorary degrees from UNBC and the University of British Columbia.
JOURNALS WANTED
The Ministry of Forests and Range library in Victoria requires copies of “MB Journal” – the former MacMillan Bloedel in-house publication – to complete their collection. The issues in question are -
1981 Vol. 1 No. 4, 5, 8 - 11 1982 Vol. 2 No. 1, 2, 3 1983 Vol. 3 No. 1 1984 Vol. 4 No. 3 1988 Vol. 8 No. 8 1989 Vol. 9 No.10
Donations would be appreciated, or a short-term loan so the issues could be photocopied and then returned to the owner.
If you can help please contact:
Susanne Barker, Library Research Branch, Ministry of Forests and Range PO Box 9523 Stn Prov Gov Victoria BC V8W 9C2
Phone: (250) 387-2169 Fax: (250) 953-3079
E-mail: [email protected] 4
INDEX TO B.C. FOREST HISTORY NEWSLETTERS 61 - 80
No. 61 December 2000 The Tiehack, part two Geoff Marples FHABC AGM report Index to numbers 41 - 60
No. 62 March 2001 Replanting efforts by the predecessor companies of MacMillan Bloedel during the interwar period, part one Sen Wang Ex-Forest Service Vessel Squadron news Obituary: Bill Moore
No. 63 May 2001 Replanting efforts by the predecessor companies of MacMillan Bloedel during the interwar period, part two Sen Wang A winter’s tale Hank Horn
No. 64 November 2001 FHABC AGM report Forest History Society Board Meeting, October 2001 Volunteers restore cabin (on Murtle Lake, Wells Gray Park) S.M. Simpson Ltd. Sharron Simpson
No. 65 March 2002 Growing up in the interior, part one Dave Wallinger Forest History Society to set up Canadian office Ex-Forest Service Vessel Squadron news
No. 66 June 2002 Growing up in the interior, part two Dave Wallinger Martin Mars, “God of Rain” Dirk Septer
No. 67 August 2002 The De Dietrich/Trew family in North America D. Michael Trew Forest history and the Forest Service Ranger School Geoff Bate
No. 68 November 2002 Cutting up the far north John Parminter FHABC AGM report “Spartree” video available for purchase Book review: “Wildfire Wars” by Keith Keller Geoff Bate
No. 69 February 2003 History of the Society of Consulting Foresters Rudi Kind and of British Columbia, part one G. Wayne Coombs FHABC honours and awards night announcement BCFS Ranger School Graduates 1948 - 1950 Geoff Bate 5
No. 70 May 2003 History of the Society of Consulting Foresters Rudi Kind and of British Columbia, part two G. Wayne Coombs FHABC honours and awards presented BCFS Ranger School Graduates 1950 - 1953 Geoff Bate
No. 71 September 2003 Queest Mtn. Lookout dismantled Heather Persson Recollections of a Forest Ranger on the Coast 65 years ago Ross Douglas
No. 72 November 2003 FHABC AGM report Lemon Lookout lives again Stuart MacCuaig BCFS Ranger School Graduates 1953 - 1965 Geoff Bate Logger math
No. 73 March 2004 Tales from the West Coast of Vancouver Island Jack Ker BCFS Ranger School Graduates 1966 - 1978 Geoff Bate Obituary: Geoff Bate
No. 74 August 2004 The Cowichan Lake Research Station turns 75 John Parminter and Don Carson Queest Mtn. Lookout revisited Al Schutz From horses to helicopters Jack Carradice Obituary: Ken Drushka
No. 75 December 2004 FHABC AGM report The cougar sisters – a brief review from portals of the past Donald Ream Recollections of Howard Rustad Bill McGhee Obituary: Tom Wright
No. 76 April 2005 The Burman River fly camp Ralph Schmidt James R. Anderson, B.C. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and forest policy advocate David Brownstein Lemon Lookout lives again - update Stuart MacCuaig 75 years of reforestation celebrated on April 17, 2005 at Green Timbers
No. 77 August 2005 Forest history meets ecology: understanding the present from the past Audrey Pearson Starting out in the Forest Surveys and Inventory Division Gerhard Eichel Celebrating my eighteenth birthday Ralph Schmidt Goings on at Lake Cowichan John Parminter Timber cruising Jack Ker 6
No. 78 December 2005 FHABC AGM report A brief history of Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Park Kerry Joy Chronological history of Rayonier Canada Limited Rayonier
No. 79 April 2006 Forestry in the Chilliwack District J.A. Mahood Obituary: Gerald Smedley Andrews Ex-Forest Service Vessel Squadron news
No. 80 August 2006 In memoriam – Inventory’s Annus horridus, 1955 Gerhard Eichel History of Western Forest Industries Limited, WFI Limited Gordon River Logging Division The Pemberton – Sheppard – Sayward indenture
INVENTORY'S ANNUS HORRIDUS, 1955 – AN ADDENDUM by Gerhard Eichel
An additional bad, although not fatal, accident occurred while I was still with the inventory party. The victim was an Aussie, who had just been sent to us from Victoria, and he was hurt severely on just his second day of work. In spite of our repeated warnings about mosquitoes and all kinds of stinging and biting insects and the hazards and discomfort of traversing devil’s club, wild rose, and gooseberry brush, he insisted on wearing short pants because “that’s what you wear in the bush.”
He stepped on a fallen pine with slippery bark, lost his footing and fell a short distance to the ground. During the fall, a razor-sharp stub of a broken branch – which we called a “jewel thief” – penetrated his calf and sliced a gash about an inch deep from ankle to knee. The crew did what they could to close the wound but there was no way of carrying him through the dense underbrush.
With the help of a long staff, he clenched his teeth and hobbled back to a lake along the survey strip which the crew had established over the past two days. One of the crew stayed with him, the other hastened to camp, hoping that the portable radio there would work and someone would hear a distress call.
It eventually got through and a floatplane was found. The aircraft was waiting at the dock when the two men got to camp. There was even a stretcher set up and our Aussie friend left on a flight, en route to the Prince George hospital.
If he had accepted our advice and worn long pants the worst that would have happened would have been a torn pant leg. 7
EX-FOREST SERVICE VESSEL SQUADRON NEWS
The 2006 Rendezvous was held at the Brentwood Bay Marina and boats attending were Silver Fir, Alpine Fir II, Maple II, Dean Ranger, and Forest Ranger II. Attendees without their boats represented the White Birch and Western Yew. Doug Mitchell, Chairperson of the Anchor Watch for the past 12 years, stepped down from that post and subsequently sold the Forest Ranger II. His unselfish dedication will be missed but as an Honorary Life Member we expect to see him at future events.
Terry Neill, of Tamarack, is the new Chairperson and other positions are Treasurer, held by Sandra Pidcock of Alpine Fir II; Membership Coordinator, held by Uwe Pause of Silver Fir; and Archivist, Newsletter director, and 2007 Rendezvous Coordinator held by Robin Lakenes of Western Yew.
New members are Trevor Simmonds, a partner on the Maple II and Kathy and Robert Brereton of the Cherry II. They purchased her from Don Vince, who purchased her from Roy Dusenbury, who bought the vessel from the B.C. Forest Service. The Breretons are going to restore the Cherry II to her prime and moor her in front of their home on the Gorge in Victoria.
A special guest at the 2006 Rendezvous was Charles Hyatt, accompanied by his wife and family. They travelled from Sechelt to Brentwood Bay to reunite Charles with some of the vessels he lived and worked on, and to meet the current owners. He was stationed on Western Yew around 1956 at Chatham Channel, working the Knight Inlet area. The B.C. Forest Service presence consisted of an office on floats and two houses on shore. Jack Greenhouse was the Ranger. Charles’ wife and two daughters lived there too, with the children taking home schooling.
After a few years away, Charles Hyatt returned to the B.C. Forest Service in 1960. He and an Assistant Ranger took the White Birch from the Maintenance Depot in Vancouver to Ocean Falls. They lived on board for the summer and worked the Rivers Inlet and Smith Inlet areas, then switched to the Forest Ranger II out of Thurston Bay to work Bute Inlet. Two ranger districts were covered from Thurston Bay and seven families lived at the station there.
Charles subsequently worked out of Lund, Madeira Park, and Sechelt on the Forest Dispatcher, Pacific Yew, Wells Gray, and Western Yew. The Western Yew replaced the Wells Gray at Sechelt when the latter vessel was sold. He worked on the Western Yew and then turned it over to skipper Phil Nicholson. After retiring, Charles stayed in Sechelt and his former B.C. Forest Service home in Madeira Park is now the community library.
The 2007 Rendezvous will also be a reunion for any B.C. Forest Service employee who worked on the vessels, plus it is hoped that other government service, police, fisheries, Coast Guard, and supply or mission boats will attend. The Rendezvous and Reunion will be held from August 24 – 26, 2007 at the Maple Bay Marina, near Duncan, B.C. Former BCFS vessels will be open for tours on Saturday the 25th from 13:00 to 15:00.
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For further information on the 2007 Ex-Forest Service Vessel Rendezvous and Reunion please contact:
Robin Lakenes PO Box 448 Brinnon Washington 98320 USA
Phone (360) 796-3340 E-mail: [email protected]
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Brownstein, David. 2006. Sunday walks and seed traps: the many natural histories of British Columbia forest conservation, 1890-1925. Ph.D. thesis, Resource Management and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Graduate Studies, UBC. Vancouver, B.C. x + 302 p.
Burch, W.G. (Gerry). 2006. Still counting the rings – W.G. Burch: an autobiography. 220 p. ISBN 0-9782066-0-6. Orders: [email protected]
Carlson, Keith T. and K. Fagan (editors). 2006. ‘Call me Hank’: a Stó:lõ man’s reflections on logging, living, and growing old. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON. 144 p. ISBN 0-8020-9426-0. $24.95.
George, Paul. 2006. Big trees not big stumps. Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Vancouver, B.C. 508 p. ISBN 1-895123-3-8. $39.95, includes a DVD.
Lee, David. 2006. Chainsaws: a history. Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, B.C. 220 p. ISBN 1-55017-380-4. $49.95.
This newsletter is the official organ of the Forest History Association of British Columbia. Please submit newsletter material and send changes of address to the Editor: John Parminter, # 3 – 130 Niagara Street, Victoria BC V8V 1E9 Phone (250) 384-5642 home or (250) 356-6810 office. E-mail: [email protected]
Membership in the association is $10 yearly, or $45 for five years. Please send dues to the Treasurer: Art Walker, 564 Oliver Street, Victoria BC V8S 4W3 Phone: (250) 598-4455 E-mail: [email protected]
The President: Stan Chester, can be reached at 5686 Keith Road, West Vancouver BC V7W 2N5 Phone (604) 921-9880. E-mail: [email protected]